The present invention relates to the repair of a braze joint and the repaired article, and more particularly to a method of repairing a braze joint of an article such as an aerospace component that includes removing a portion of a braze material in the braze joint and cleaning the braze joint.
Various aerospace assemblies include sub-assemblies secured together by a braze joint. In a gas turbine engine, a compressor stator assembly with one or more airfoil vanes secured to one or two shrouds is one example of such a braze article. The compressor stator assembly typically includes a braze joint having braze material connecting the airfoil vane to the shroud. During operation of the engine over time, the braze material may crack, erode, or experience other braze joint unsuitable conditions that may require repair.
Disadvantageously, conventional repair of the braze joint typically requires the complete removal of the original braze material (along with contaminants associated with the original braze joint). With the original braze material completely removed, the airfoil vane becomes separated from the shroud. The conventional removal process includes completely removing the braze material, corrosion products, oxidation products, and other contaminants through chemical and/or mechanical stripping processes, such as mechanical punching or electro-discharge machining. After completely removing the braze material and contamination, the joint area may be nickel plated then the airfoil vane and shroud are rebrazed using a new braze material. This type of conventional repair process may be expensive, laborious, and time-consuming.
Hence, there is a need for a simplified method of repairing aerospace assemblies that overcomes the shortcomings and drawbacks of the prior art.